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Seeing Past Blindness: Henry Wanyoike
By Nurul Taqiah Yussof and Chow Jian Hong“… I do not see that I am blind because I have achieved so much with my blindness … all I see is the success. I have achieved more without sight …”
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Henry Wanyoike is one individual who has retained his vision even though he has lost his sight. He turned his disability into an inspirational strength which spurs him to push past his limits. With the aid of his close friend and guide, Joseph Kibunja, Henry is now a Paralympics medalist, a double nominee for the Laureus World Sports awards and has also been |
On attending a sharing session with Henry and Joseph, we were able to obtain some insight on how Henry overcame his difficulties. He once harbored suicidal thoughts, but after counseling by German doctor, Petra Verweyen, he began to run again. Joseph has been a vital force in Henry’s success and has contributed to Henry’s strong belief in the values of teamwork. As Henry said “You must trust your partner. The partnership will help you achieve many things”. Henry Wanyoike has often bruised himself from falling during marathons but he always gets up and does not stop until he finishes the race.
"I cannot quit … I will finish even if I have to walk … even if I take 5 hours, I will finish the race."
Having achieved so much, one wonders if there is a challenge that Henry has yet to conquer and according to Henry, the real challenge is in creating awareness about sports for the disabled and also garnering support from the masses. He also faces an uphill task in his fight for equal rights for the disabled especially in his homeland, Kenya, where the disabled are neglected and often end up as beggars.
On his part, Henry in his free time is a counselor for the newly blind at the PCEA Kikuyu Hospital Eye Unit, in Kenya. He tries to give back to the Machakos Technical Institute for the Blind, where he had received great support when he first became vision impaired, by helping to knit pullovers and making donations such as in the form of white canes. However, he emphasizes that the support of the able bodied is crucial to the disabled as proven from the partnerships he has forged with Joseph Kibunja, and his sponsors, the Standard Chartered Bank. Henry is involved in the Standard Chartered ‘Seeing Is Believing’ program which ultimately aims to restore the eyesight of approximately 10 million people, with 1 million having already regained sight.
"Do small things in the right and clever way, and great things will look for you … even if you don’t make it today, you will make it tomorrow …never quit."
As a child admiring the life of other Kenyan athletes, Henry Wanyoike envisioned himself as a champion too. He has never lost that vision and is now a great role model for many in Kenya and across the globe. He continues to help raise awareness about the disabled by running marathons around the world and attending promotional events or conventions. He hopes that many more will join him in understanding and supporting sports for the disabled.